4mm An EM Workbench: Mini-Signwriting (rough)

[AJC]

This doesn't show current progress on anything very much, but from the depths of a boxfile emerges something completely different. Don't get excited, it's gone back in the box now and will remain there until the other half reaches a stage where it can be useful.



There are lots and lots of things ahead of the associated standard 4 4-6-0 to finish first. Being 'old-school' finescale this is the Mainline version detailed (Comet axleboxes, etched steps and ladder from somewhere or other), rather than Bachmann rewheeled. That'd be much easier but I was gifted the bits long for the whole thing, a set of Sharmans included, before either that or the Hornby version was proposed, let alone released.

Following the discovery that spare valvegear and cylinders from the Hornby version can now be had the loco' might actually get finished, or at least running, this year but don't quote me on that in 2014. The original idea, I think was the the Mainline valvegear would have been recycled. Its sister loco' done in the same way by the chap who gave me the bits worked rather well in this form (and must, btw have had two right hand frames, mine has two left hand ones...).



Given the lamp irons, I suppose this should be in the Western forum - it'll be green too (with a double chimney). Back in the boxfile it goes.

Adam

 

[AJC]

A complete Pipe, allowing for the weather getting anywhere close to being warm enough to paint the thing anyhow. It's amazing, looking at it, how many minute components there are beneath the body - and how little needed doing to that.





Livery-wise, it'll be Freight Brown with boxed lettering and, just for a change, a load of some sort. Cable drums possibly.

Adam

 

[iak63]

Gorgeous naughtiness...
Very inspiring and motivating.

Hmmmmmmm!

 

[mickoo]

Livery-wise, it'll be Freight Brown with boxed lettering and, just for a change, a load of some sort. Cable drums possibly.

Adam

Very nice, I'm now begining to look at freight wagons for my layout and that'd make a nice subject for my short fitted train. I'd read somewhere that wagons were painted to suit their braking, grey for unbraked and brown for Vacuum, air braked was just what ever and followed no specific colour other than not either of the above?.

 

[AJC]

Thanks Mick - basically, what should have occurred (and barring a few minor aberrations, usually did) was that fitted or through piped vehicles were painted either bauxite or, after 1964, Freight Brown (this applied to AB stock as far as I know). Vac' pipes, but not the hoses, were painted red on fitted stock, white on through piped. Unfitted stock was grey of various shades. I think after 1964 this was meant to be 'Rail Grey' which, I think, is the same as the grey used for blue/grey passenger stock. My modelling period stops c.1968 so I'm a bit hazy on details after that point...

The awkward thing about Pipe wagons is that many started out unfitted - and, since they were built early in BR's existence, with unpainted woodwork - before, presumably being painted grey and then retro-fitted with vacuum cylinders and pipes in bauxite. In other words, the same wagon could have carried three different liveries in a smidge over a decade!

Adam

PS - as of 10 March, I notice that Bachmann have announced an RTR version. And a Warflat - excellent conversion fodder.

 

[AJC]

I've not had a lot of time for modelling recently, but one day when the morning temperature headed above 0 degrees Celsius the Pipe acquired a coat of primer and has since had a couple of finishing coats; Humbrol chocolate brown on the underframe (mixed with a touch of metalcote gunmetal - I had the mix on the go for something else) and Precision Freight Brown above the solebar. The bodysides have had two or three coats of Klear prior to adding transfers. It's nearly there...



The inside has had a couple of coats - a dark grey and some weathered wood colours. This isn't done yet, there's another couple of passes to go.



Adam

 

[iak63]

Whooooosh!
That is a corker man.
Do like that finish on the inside, very nice already. And the under gubbins just "sings" to my eyes, bl**dy worth all the work...

 

[7mmMick]

Nice choice of base colours Adam, looking forward to seeing the weathering progress here. I had a visit to the NRM a couple of weeks ago and snapped this 'Tube' on the I-phone ( so not a great pic ). Are you taking the weathering this far



ATB Mick

 

[AJC]

Hah! Not on this occasion Mick - the period modelled is mid-'60s so this would be a recent repaint.

Adam

 

[AJC]

Following a visit to the paintshop, having been lettered and dullcoted, the Pipe is now ready for weathering (subsequent to taking this picture, I've silvered the buffershanks - correct for OLEOs - and touched in the vac' pipe in red). I'm not sure what's more amazing; that we had the transfers in stock to do the job or that the sun shone long enough to take the picture.



Adam

 

[AJC]

One of Mr Bulleid's off the wall experiments, the penthouse roofed van. There were three of them, apparently, and amazingly, one of them (at least), managed to survive until 1966 if not a little longer. Some information, including an elevation of the end, is in the fourth volume of Chorley, Bixley, et al's 'SR Wagons'. Part of the idea was to solve the problem of leaking roofs that the usual shape SR vans were prone to (solved, apprently, by the adoption of plywood side sheeting) and partly, this was a rebuild of a bomb-damaged vehicle, no. 49363. The Ratio kit crossed my path subsequently and thus temptation had to be yielded to.



The modifications should be fairly obvious but weren't, in real terms, very complicated. The next couple of shots should show how things are going. So far, so good.






More as and when. The pictures remind me that I must do something to make the hinges more prominent...

Adam

 

[Jon Gwinnett]

Fantastic Adam. I often wondered if Mr B had been shown the big standard FS vans when he came up with this.

(Bog standard obviously, daft autocorrect!)

 

[Dog Star]

One of Mr Bulleid's off the wall experiments, the penthouse roofed van.... Part of the idea was to solve the problem of leaking roofs that the usual shape SR vans were prone to (solved, apprently, by the adoption of plywood side sheeting)

Go on, how does changing the material of the bodyside stop the roof leaking?

regards, Graham

 

[AJC]

I'm going on the book - apparently, and this must relate in part to the three arc shape of Southern roofs - the settling of planks was responsible (which is presumably also a factor in the pronounced droop experienced on doors of Southern vans: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/srvan/h22fdcbbc#h22fdcbbc ), though I suspect that it was the roof itself where this was a serious problem; on later vehicles, the centre section used plywood. It's entirely likely that I misread the text and have the wrong end of the stick here...

Adam

 

[Dog Star]

... apparently, and this must relate in part to the three arc shape of Southern roofs - the settling of planks was responsible ... I suspect that it was the roof itself where this was a serious problem; on later vehicles, the centre section used plywood...

Seems a reasonable hypothesis, especially if conditions of the time dictated that the roof had thinner sticks than in earlier years.

regards, Graham

 

[Simon]

I know it existed, but it just looks to me like something that should be out in the garden with a nice little chimney on top of it and a gnome sitting alongside it

Makes Mr Bullied's Q1 look positively handsome!

(Sorry Adam, great model nonetheless)

 

[AJC]

I can't argue with any of that Simon! it does have a feel of something that has lawnmowers tangling with hosepipes inside I grant you...

Adam

 

[iak63]

What a fascinating subject...
More I say...

 

[AJC]

The sun is shining this morning in Southampton and a few bits have been added so I popped outside to take a couple of pictures of the van in the sunshine. There are still things to do, some immediately obvious - upright vac' pipes, brake levers - and others less so. It does now have safety loops, door retaining chains, lamp irons and boltheads, etc. In other words, all the things that make this vehicle 'different' are done and now I just have to do the run of the mill stuff that all wagons need. Still, it's getting there.



One thing I'm considering is whether to add chalk boards. A lot or SR plywood vans had these added but neither of the prototype shots of the vehicle in BR days show the sides/ends clearly enough. The lamp iron is something not shown in the 1944 shot in 'SR Wagons' but I find it difficult to believe that it wouldn't have received one later. Chalk boards seem to be more discretionary.

Adam

 

[AJC]

One last thing. The van is now finished barring the levers and lever guides - I've run out of the latter - including scratchbuilt vac' pipes. Nothing wrong with the cast variety, it's simply that I've run out of those too.



I wouldn't normally bother with wrapping the fine filiament wire around the brass core - certainly not for pipes which hang down below the headstock but it seems worth it on this occasion.

Adam